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Wednesday, October 5

Lots of Love & Worth the Wait

The one, the only!

On what has become an annual trip to Nashville, TN every September, I knew I had to make a pit stop at my favorite southern food staple, Loveless Cafe. I had never even heard of this place so I was thankful my friend and co-taste-tester was there to point me in the right direction.

Having visited the restaurant last September as well, I knew what I was in for. A typical visit involves having to wait around an hour just for a table; however, they also take carry-out orders which was how I first enjoyed the fine fried food at Loveless. This time around, I came hungry yet patient so I was willing to wait for a table inside.

Check out those awesome side options

After waiting just over an hour for a table, we were seated at a window seat, affording us views of the numerous motorcycles parked out front along several picnic tables. Loveless is famous for their made-from-scratch biscuits served with homemade peach, blackberry and strawberry preserves. We quickly scarfed these buttermilk babies down. This was the moistest biscuit I've ever had, coupled with the most delicious preserves!

Loveless Cafe's famous biscuits with peach, blackberry and strawberry preserves

Since I only make the trip once a year, this visit meant going all out in terms of my menu choices. Loveless offers a variety of dinners served with their made-from-scratch-daily sides. Last time I visited, my friend and I split a platter of three meats and sides including fried catfish, barbecue pork and fried chicken. This time we opted for our own platters! Since I had already eaten a few pounds of barbecue pork during my time in Nashville, I went with the fried chicken platter.

Next was the hard part, picking side dishes. I knew I had to try the hashbrown casserole, a dish completely unknown to me until my sorority chefs introduced us and subsequently sent me to hashbrown heaven. If you don't know, hashbrown casserole is a mix of hashbrowns, butter, cream of chicken soup, onions and cheese, all baked to gooey goodness. I figured I needed some green on my plate so I chose the green beans (with bacon of course) as my second side.

I immediately scooped up a healthy serving of hashbrown casserole, savoring the creamy flavor. This was the best hashbrown casserole I've ever had! I'd take this over macaroni and cheese any day. Next, I cut into the fried chicken, ready to be critical of its tenderness and juicyness. Luckily, the chicken also confirmed this meal was worth the agonizing wait. Both pieces were extra juicy and tender and the crispy skin was not the slightest too greasy.

My friend went with the platter as well except she chose the fried catfish and added macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes and green beans. The catfish also came with a pair of hush puppies which were ridiculously delicious and not a bit too dry. Although a bit on the soupy side, the macaroni and cheese was clearly homemade with love!

After eating half of our platters, we made sure to save room for dessert. I had read the Loveless cookbook and seen photos of their beautiful cobblers, pies and cakes. Unfortunately, our waiter informed me the peach cobbler I wanted was sold out, so he convinced me to go with a slice of their red velvet cake. Since I love anything red velvet, I eagerly obliged. It was a shame to discover this piece of cake was better in looks than it was in taste. The overly-cocoa taste was not appealing with the dried out cake. I really wanted to like the cake, but it just wasn't cutting it!

Homemade red velvet cake

My friend went with a cup of banana pudding which came with a generous dollop of whipped cream and a homemade wafer. She wasn't thrilled with the pudding, but I thought it was quite delicious, especially when compared to my red velvet dud.

Homemade banana pudding

Although we had to wait the typical hour or so to snag a table at Loveless Cafe, I'll forever return for a taste of southern comfort food and those amazing biscuits. If you're ever in Nashville, you must swing by Loveless for a plate of barbecue and some homemade sides. We left that day with bulging stomachs and heavy take-home boxes and I'm already dreaming of my return. Loveless Cafe gets 4.5 stars for their homemade biscuits and sides and the best hashbrown casserole on Earth. Next time, I'll be back to try a different dessert, but I can't promise I'll be able to wait for a table!